The Great Wall | Netflix.

When a mercenary warrior (Matt Damon) is imprisoned within the Great Wall, he discovers the mystery behind one of the greatest wonders of the world. As wave after wave of marauding beasts besiege the massive structure, his quest for fortune turns into a journey toward heroism as he joins a huge army of elite warriors to confront the unimaginable and seemingly unstoppable force.

In fact, the entire film is a piece of historical fiction, with little basis in reality other than the existence of the wall itself. The Great Wall is fantasy, through and through, so it’s safe to say that William isn’t actually a historical figure.

Surprisingly enough, the Tao Tei are actually real mythical creatures, not just created for the film. “What makes our film unique is that these are ancient Chinese monsters,” director Zhang Yimou said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Si Xiong, or the Four Evils, are one of the most famous. The Four Evils are Tao Tie饕餮, Hun Dun混沌, Qiong Qi穷奇 and Tao Wu梼杌. Each holds evil characteristics such as encouraging greed, distorting truth, and making wars. The evil beasts’ names are still often referred to as metaphors out of superstition.

In Chinese mythology and astronomy, the Four Evil Creatures, or Four Perils/Four Fiends (四凶; Sì Xiōng) are a group of four creatures that have been exiled by the gods and are the antagonistic counterparts of the Four Celestial Animals: Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, Black Tortoise, and the White Tiger.

Queen

William and Tovar are two men from Europe coming to China in search of black powder. William and General Lin use magnetic stones and black powder rockets against the queen, killing her and the rest of the Taotie.

The Five Precepts are considered an important source of authority in Buddhism. ‘Do not engage in sexual misconduct’, instructs Buddhists to be content within marriage and not to commit adultery as this will cause suffering. Buddhist monks choose not to marry and remain celibate while living in the monastic community.

Priests, nuns, and monks take a vow of celibacy when they are initiated into the Church. Most religions advise both the males and females to remain celibate until they take marital vows. Thus, celibacy is not the same as virginity. It is voluntary, and it can be practiced by those who have had intercourse before.

To become a monk, one first must become a postulant, during which time the man lives at the monastery to evaluate whether he is called to become a monk. After a few years, the monk professes permanent vows, which are binding for life.

A bhikkhunī (Pali) or bhikṣuṇī (Sanskrit) is a fully ordained female monastic in Buddhism. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the Vinaya, a set of rules.

These steps assume you receive their support.

1. Step 1: Attend at least one three-day retreat at Mount Angel Abbey to pray on whether monastic life there is your calling.
2. Step 2: Apply to enter the monastery.
3. Step 3: Live at the monastery as a postulant for three to six months.